IRVINE, Calif. – Taco Bell
is ditching its meals aimed at kids, Advertising Age reports. The Tex-Mex chain
attributed slow sales and a focus on Millennial customers as the reason it
would jettison its children’s menu.
“As we continue our
journey of being a better, more relevant Taco Bell, kid's meals and toys simply
no longer make sense for us to put resources behind,” said Greg Creed, CEO of
Taco Bell. “What does make sense is concentrating on expanding choices that
meet and exceed the diverse needs of consumers of all ages, without losing
focus on what makes us great today.
Kids’ meals accounted for
a mere 0.5% of sales at the chain. In comparison, McDonald’s Happy Meals rake
in 10% of U.S. sales. Taco Bell isn’t the only chain to nix children’s menus.
In 2011, Jack in the Box stopped serving meals for kids.
Select Taco Bell
restaurants will begin removing the menu items this month, with nationwide
implementation anticipated by January 2014. “Pioneering this change on our menu
is a bold move for our industry, and it makes sense for Taco Bell,” said Creed.
“We’ll be able to better focus on creating new and inventive items that our
customers love.”
Menu items on the current
Kid’s Meals Menu will remain available individually on the regular menu,
including the Crunchy Taco, Soft Taco, Bean Burrito and Cheese Roll-up.